Medvedev says WikiLeaks is healthy

Davos - Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday he thought the release of leaked US diplomatic cables by the WikiLeaks website could have a positive effect on international diplomacy.

Brandishing his iPad, the tech-friendly Medvedev said modern communications had linked people in such a way that "no very serious secret can be guaranteed immune from being disclosed today".

"At the end of the day, I believe this WikiLeaks story should make the spirit of international relations healthier even if, in itself, this was an illegal activity," he added.

"The impact of the story for international relations is quite positive."

In November, WikiLeaks began publishing some 250 000 leaked US cables from 1966 to February 2010, revealing what it calls "the contradictions between the USA's public persona and what it says behind closed doors".

Some of the revelations have embarrassed Washington, and the White House has called those behind the leaks "criminals". Other red-faced leaders have also expressed their indignation after being criticised in the documents.

Medvedev, however, said that he had not been shocked by any revelations concerning Russia.

"From my perspective, from what I read concerning Russia from the materials which found their way to WikiLeaks, there has been nothing new to me in it," he said, smiling.

"I got the sense that most assessments that found their way to WikiLeaks concerning Russia were taken from the general political sites on the internet."

According to a recent leaked cable from the US embassy in Moscow cited by Germany's Spiegel magazine, US diplomats believe Russian gas giant Gazprom is "badly organised, politically driven and corrupt".

"Perhaps it concerns some, but not us, we are tough guys," said a beaming Medvedev.

Comments

John Juggle - 2011-01-27 05:54

Good one Medvedev. Please offer assylum to Assange and ensure he keeps on publishing the cables, there is nothing more entertaining to me than to see the almighty US goverment red-faced. Hahaha.

Ozymandios - 2011-01-27 06:46

John, well said. Its about time those toffee-nosed Yankie politicians got a blood nose. Always meddling in other countries affairs and yet their own country needs a lot of repairs and correction within. If they spent the billions of US$'s they spend on war fixing up their own backyard the world would be a better place.

raykhado - 2011-01-27 06:40

Its a good idea by wikileaks, the US and the west lied to world that Sadam had dangerous weapons and went on murdering innocent Iraqis the reason behind that its because Iraq has a lot of oil and the US wanted to test its latest weapons

D-Man - 2011-01-27 09:22

Actually they got angry because he had the nerve to start making moves to sell his country's oil in Euros. Other Arab leaders might have followed suit and pulled the rug from under them so a strong message had to be sent and he was swung from the gallows and gutted like a trout. Oh - and the oil was taken.

Kirsty - 2011-01-27 08:16

Agree completely with Medvedev! We need to ensure that we can trust the world leaders in the times that we presently live in - we need to know that what we are being told and what is really going on behind the scenes correlates.

Madelane - 2011-01-27 08:22

To maintain a balance one cannot help but wonder how President Dmitry Medvedev would react if his own double dealing and general dishonsety made it onto Wikileaks......politicians are dishonest by their very nature and nothing they say should be believed......all the more power to

Madelane - 2011-01-27 08:23

Wikileaks but do keep a weather eye out for the ever present undercover guys who will attempt to sow disinformation....

bill - 2011-01-27 08:38

Well said.At last a pragmatic and sensible politician.

christine - 2011-01-27 10:37

what a great pleasure to read the dozen or so comments on this artical
great perspectives --intelligent comment and intresting opinions
no bad language racicsm swearing and insulting each other because we dont agree with the other persons opinion
ALL COMMENTERS ON NEWS 24 SHOULD REALLY TRY AND UPHOLD THESE ETHICS AND NOT RESPOND TO LUNATIC OPINIONS__JUST REPORT THE OFFENDER SO THEY CAN BE BANNED FROM HERE
we all shout and cus about everyone else but are really no better if we behave badly